Page 37 of Outcast Fae
“Yeah. She gave us the water and some food. I can get you some. Oh, and medicine for your leg, though, it seems like you might not need it.”
What was I doing talking to him? I couldn’t forget what he had done, the way he had treated me. He hated me and my kind, and that hadn’t changed just because of one mumbled ‘thank you’ for saving his life. What had changed, however, was the fact that I’d discovered he knew something, something that might have to do with my friends.
He prodded the new skin where the puncture marks had been. “I thought I was a goner. That snake was like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“You healed well. Amazingly well.” The question I’d been dying to ask hung in the air, waiting to be spoken, but this was the most we’d ever talked, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
I needed to ask regardless. This was too important.
“Vaughn, when you were conscious before, you said something to me.”
His brow furrowed. “Did I?”
“You don’t remember it?”
He slowly shook his head, appearing worried. “I don’t think so. I was in and out. What did I say?”
I chewed my lip. “You mentioned children.”
His eyebrows shot up. The word clearly meant something to him, but when I leaned forward, wanting to ask more, he seemed ignorant. “Children? I must have really been delirious.”
“You said they were on the island.”
“There are no children on the island.” He turned away from me. “Did you say there was food?”
“Vaughn, wait.”
He got up, wincing, but walking steadily enough toward the basket near Daniella.
I followed, determined to drag him aside and press for information, but Elon and Wally approached, and the three of them huddled together, turning their backs on Daniella and me.
Sick of their colluding, I was ready to storm over there but felt a hand on my leg. When I looked down, Daniella was gesturing for me to sit beside her.
“What is it?” I asked, a bit annoyed.
Daniella leaned in and pressed a piece of paper into my hand. “I found this,” she whispered into my ear. “It was in the basket. I think this delivery was meant to go to the other camp.”
I unrolled the piece of paper in my hands. It had a roster of five names on it, none of which I recognized, and then a set of numbers.
“What is this?” I asked, my heart pounding. I wanted it to lead to the children, but, even without their names on the list I felt like it meant something.
Daniella touched a finger to the seemingly random numbers. “These are coordinates, Tally. Latitude and Longitude. I think it’s the location of the other camp.”
Chapter Fourteen
“It’s this way,”I said, pointing in the direction of the small stream I’d found yesterday.
It was morning, and the storm had passed. Fallen branches and leaves littered our valley, making it look as if a deadly battle had taken place. The storm and its winds had been vicious. It was a good thing we had our cave.
The other four followed me, Vaughn bringing up the rear. Overnight, he seemed to have fully healed. There was no limp, and, other than deep circles under his eyes, there were no signs that he had been near death just a day ago.
After Daniella had found what appeared to be coordinates to another group of campers, she and I had quietly shared the discovery with the others. Vaughn had snatched the paper from her hand and read it. Then he shook his head and dismissed the paper like it was nothing.
After that, Vaughn had stalked to the cave entrance, even as the wind howled against his face, sending bronze curls flying in all directions. When I approached to ask more questions, he ignored me, staring straight ahead at the falling sheets of rain as thunder raged in the distance.
It seemed that, like me, he wanted to be out there desperately, but the rain kept him in. What did he need to attend to so urgently? Since day one, he’d wanted to take off into the jungle, what did he know that he wasn’t saying? Maybe as soon as I showed him where to find fresh water, he would go off on his own again. If so, I hoped this time the snake would bite him in the groin, especially since he had returned to the same cagey, hostile mood from the beginning.
A lot of good saving his life did.
